General Studies Paper 3 (GS3) Question Paper – UPSC Civil Services Main Exam (Written) 2019

Union Public Service Commission UPSC Mains conducted the General Studies Paper 3 (GS3) Paper, as part of the Civil Services Main Exam 2019 on 22-09-2019. Aspirants can now view or download the General Studies Paper 3 (GS3) Question Paper from this post.

GENERAL STUDIES PAPER 3: UPSC Civil Services Mains Examination – 2019

Instructions

• Total Marks: 250 marks, Time duration: 3 hours.
• There are 20 questions printed both in ENGLISH and HINDI.
• All questions are compulsory.
• The number of marks carried by a question/part is printed against it.
• Answers must be written in the medium authorized in the admission certificate which must be stated clearly on the cover of this question-cum-answer (QCA) booklet in the space provided.
• No marks will be given for answers written in a medium other than an authorized one.
• Answers to questions no. 1 to 10 should be in 150 words, whereas answers to questions no. 11 to 20 should be in 250 words.
• Keep the word limit indicated in the questions in mind.
• Any page or portion of the page left blank must be struck off clearly.

General Studies Paper 3 (GS3) Questions – UPSC CSE Mains 2019

Qn1. Enumerate the indirect taxes which have been subsumed in the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in India. Also, comment on the revenue implications of the GST introduced in India in July 2017. (Answer in 150 words)

Qn2. Do you agree with the view that steady GDP growth and low inflation have left the Indian economy in good shape? Give reasons in support of your arguments. (Answer in 150 words)

Qn3. How far is the Integrated Farming System (IFS) helpful in sustaining agricultural production? (Answer in 150 words)

Qn4. Elaborate on the impact of the National Watershed Project in increasing agricultural production from water-stressed areas. (Answer in 150 words)

Qn5. How did India benefit from the contributions of Sir M. Visvesvaraya and Dr. M. S. Swaminathan in the fields of water engineering and agricultural science respectively? (Answer in 150 words)

Qn6. What is India’s plan to have its own space station and how will it benefit our space programme? (Answer in 150 words)

Qn7.  Coastal sand mining, whether legal or illegal, poses one of the biggest threats to our environment. Analyze the impact of sand mining along the Indian coasts, citing specific examples. (Answer in 150 words)

Qn8. Vulnerability is an essential element for defining disaster impacts and its threat to people. How and in what ways can vulnerability to disasters be characterized? Discuss different types of vulnerability with reference to disasters. (Answer in 150 words)

Qn9. The banning of ‘Jamaat–e–Islami in Jammu and Kashmir brought into focus the role of over-ground workers (OGWs) in assisting terrorist organizations. Examine the role played by OGWs in assisting terrorist organizations in insurgency-affected areas. Discuss measures to neutralize the influence of OGWs. (Answer in 150 words)

Qn10. What is the CyberDome Project? Explain how it can be useful in controlling internet crimes in India. (Answer in 150 words)

Qn11. It is argued that the strategy of inclusive growth is intended to meet the objectives of inclusiveness and sustainability together. Comment on this statement. (Answer in 250 words)

Qn12. Public expenditure management is a challenge to the government of India in the context of budget-making during the post-liberalization period. Clarify it. (Answer in 250 words)

Qn13. What are the reformative steps taken by the government to make the food grain distribution system more effective? (Answer in 250 words)

Qn14. Elaborate on the policy taken by the government of India to meet the challenges of the food processing sector. (Answer in 250 words)

Qn15. How is the government of India protecting traditional knowledge of medicine from patenting by pharmaceutical companies? (Answer in 250 words)

Qn16. How can biotechnology improve the living standards of farmers? (Answer in 250 words)

Qn17. Define the concept of the carrying capacity of an ecosystem as relevant to an environment. Explain how understanding this concept is vital while planning for the sustainable development of a region. (Answer in 250 words)

Qn18. Disaster preparedness is the first step in any disaster management process. Explain how hazard zonation mapping will help in disaster mitigation in the case of landslides. (Answer in 250 words)

Qn19. The Indian government has recently strengthened the anti-terrorism laws by amending the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967, and the NIA Act. Analyze the changes in the context of the prevailing security environment while discussing the scope and reasons for opposing the UAPA by human rights organizations. (Answer in 250 words)

Qn20. The cross-border movement of insurgents is only one of the several security challenges facing the policing of the border in North-East India. Examine the various challenges currently emanating across the India-Myanmar border. Also, discuss the steps to counter the challenges. (Answer in 250 words)

UPSC CSE General Studies Paper 3 (GS3) Question Paper: Analysis

While General Studies Paper 1 and General Studies Paper 2 of the UPSC Civil Services Mains Exam were really ‘general’ in nature, General Studies Paper 3 didn’t turn out like that. The exam contained a mix of specific and general questions – both requiring analysis from the end of candidates.

Re-entry of Questions about Specific Topics!

Integrated Farming System (IFS), National Watershed Project, Over-Ground-Workers, the contributions of Vishwesharia and Dr. M. S. Swaminathan, Cyber Dome Project, Carrying Capacity, UAPA – 7 out of 20 questions were specific in nature.

However, most of these could have been answered by a well-read youth. Further, the questions were not to provide definitions, but rather an analysis connected with these topics.

Application-based Questions

Almost everyone knows about GST and Biotechnology – at least from a general perspective. The same is the case with the Indian Space Program. However, questions were connected with the application side.

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